At a time when international health funding is experiencing a historic decline, health data is becoming, more than ever, a strategic issue for African states. In Dakar, on May 7, 2026, media representatives met with two experts from the Gates Foundation to discuss the challenges of child survival, vaccination, and strengthening health systems in West and Central Africa.

This meeting aimed to decipher the realities on the ground behind the statistics. Facing journalists, Dr. Joachim Ndeni Lubiba, head of Health and Innovation programs, and Dr. Seynude Jean-Fortune Dagnon, a specialist in child survival, shared a central observation: without reliable data, no health system can function.

Data, the new crux of the health war

For Dr. Joachim Ndeni Lubiba, information systems are the cornerstone of modernization. "We cannot talk about health financing without talking about data," he insisted. Data allows us to anticipate drug needs, identify at-risk areas, and manage epidemics.

While information used to take weeks to travel from rural areas to the capital, digitalization is changing everything. The Gates Foundation is even funding a "Delivery Unit" within the Ministry of Health in Senegal to accelerate improvements in the quality of this strategic data.

Malaria and non-communicable diseases: choices guided by science

In the fight against malaria, efficiency is key. Dr. Dagnon explained that decisions regarding mosquito net distribution are now based on a combination of biological and geospatial data. While some areas, such as Kolda and Kédougou, remain priorities, others, less affected, receive fewer resources. These technical choices, sometimes poorly understood by the population, must be explained to avoid social tensions.

The alert also concerns non-communicable diseases (cancers, diabetes, hypertension). Senegal recently conducted a STEPS survey to guide investments. For Dr. Lubiba, the lack of comprehensive data remains a hindrance: "How can we effectively finance the fight against cancer if we don't know how many women are at risk of breast cancer?"

Senegal: A regional model in search of sovereignty

Senegal has been praised for its health governance and leadership capabilities, justifying the choice of Dakar as the regional headquarters for the Gates Foundation. Notably, the country is the first French-speaking African nation to reach WHO maturity level 3 for pharmaceutical regulation.

However, achieving health sovereignty remains a significant challenge. With a 30% to 50% decrease in global public development aid, Senegal must optimize its resources. This requires developing domestic financing mechanisms, such as community-based health insurance schemes, and strengthening the capacities of local NGOs.

Despite progress, challenges remain: limited technical resources, lack of equipment, and insufficient infrastructure. Experts believe the future of healthcare in Africa will depend on states' ability to translate digital information into concrete decisions to sustainably finance their own systems.